Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
Photos: Zachary Mass and Jessica Bahena, student commencement speakers
May 14, 2024 (El Cajon) -- Cheers and whoops of joy will mark the commencement ceremonies for Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges in late May, as students celebrate their determination and perseverance on their path to earning a college diploma.
The Cuyamaca College commencement is scheduled for May 29 at 5:30 p.m. in front of the college’s Communication Arts Building on campus, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego. The Grossmont College commencement will be held May 30 at 9:30 a.m. at the Viejas Arena at San Diego State University. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed at Cuyamaca College Commencement and Grossmont College Commencement.
A total of 2,157 students from both colleges are set to receive 5,337 degrees and certificates, with many students receiving multiple awards.
“I’m proud of all of our graduates for putting in the hard work to reach this milestone,” said Lynn Ceresino Neault, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “They received an excellent education at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, and their lives will be forever transformed by their experiences.”
Cuyamaca College commencement and student speaker
Cuyamaca College will be awarding 1,077 degrees and certificates to 585 graduates ranging from 17 to 78 years old. The graduating class includes 234 honor students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher.
The student speaker will be Jessica Lourdes Bahena, a Rancho San Diego resident who is earning associate degrees in Ethnic Studies, History, Humanities and Fine Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Bahena, 32, who grew up with her family close to campus, first attended Cuyamaca in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2021 that she fully committed herself to her college education. The road has been challenging for the single mother of two, but she credits the professionals on campus for lifting her up when she was down and propelling her toward her degrees.
Bahena credits two programs for helping to make her college experience a success: EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) and CalWORKS. The primary purpose of the EOPS program is to ease the transition into college for new, returning and re-entry students. CalWORKS, meanwhile, is a program that gives cash aid and services to eligible California families in need.
“They just are all so supportive, and being a single mother it’s been a huge help to receive grants, school supplies, diapers, gas cards, and other aid,” she said of the CalWORKS program.
Even during this past spring – her last as a student at Cuyamaca – Bahena was looking for new opportunities to connect with staff and students. She worked part-time at the Cuyamaca Student Affairs Center, and in March she launched a student group called Brown Students United to bring students of color together and offer support for common challenges they face.
Bahena said Cuyamaca fosters a sense of community and togetherness that has helped her to thrive on campus, forge an ambitious future, and set her sights on returning to campus to teach and build a career.
“It’s that sense of community, and a faculty and staff that seems to really care about students,” she said of the best qualities of Cuyamaca.
“It’s filled my heart and my soul,” she added. “I have so much gratitude, and I want to give back to the school and its students in the way that I was helped when I was here.”
She will be transferring to San Diego State University, where she plans to major in history and Chicano Studies. She aspires to earn a master’s degree and one day return to Cuyamaca College to teach history.
Grossmont College commencement and student speaker
Grossmont College will be awarding 4,260 degrees and certificates to 1,572 graduates ranging in age from 18 to 77. The graduating class includes 557 honor students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher. The ceremony is being held at Viejas Arena for the second year in a row to accommodate the large number of graduates and family members.
The student speaker will be Zachary Mass, originally from the Bay Area who will be earning an associate degree in communication. Mass said he’s enjoyed attending Grossmont College, with supportive professors and counselors, involvement in the Radio Club, and a 3.5 grade point average.
Mass, who grew up in the Bay Area town of San Ramon, said he wanted to come to San Diego to be with friends who attend San Diego State University. Grossmont College popped up on his website search, and he liked the idea of attending a community college known as “Harvard on the hill.”
Mass praised his instructors at Grossmont College.
“That’s been my favorite thing at this school,” he said. “All the professors have been really supportive. I email them and they get back to me soon.”
Mass notes that his academic journey before he came to Grossmont College “hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows.” His academic challenges started in third grade and reached a boiling point when he was in eighth grade and was expelled from his middle school. He spent two years in a special education school before he was able to return to a mainstream high school.
Mass said he had to learn to control his emotions and not become enraged when he suffered a rejection or setback.
“I learned that there’s always going to be more to experience,” Mass said. “Even if I get a bad test grade or have a falling-out with friends, there’s always going to be more people to meet and more things to do. That’s not the end of the world.”
Or to put it simply, “I just learned how to chill out a little bit,” he said.
Mass has been active in the Radio Club, and has been announcing at Grossmont College sports events. He will be transferring to San Diego State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in communication, and hopes to have a career in sports broadcasting.
He advised anyone who is considering attending Grossmont College to get involved in some of the many activities the college offers.
“Just be as social as you can,” he said. “If you’re cooperative and be yourself, it will work out fine.”